PC Security Articles

This section contains various articles relating to PC security, aimed in particular at the non-technical general Internet user. They are generally non-technical, but where any technical knowledge is required, full explanations or references are provided.

Whilst I have aimed these articles primarily at the PC user, the concepts will apply equally to other platforms (Mac, UNIX, etc.).

Introduction to this series of papers. Please read this first, whatever your interest, as it provides important background information, definitions and the odd disclaimer or two...!

Backgrounder

A high-level summary of the security and privacy issues facing the Internet user.

Basic Protection I: Personal Firewalls

Discussions and recommendations relating to personal firewalls, the first fundamental requirement for an Internet-connected PC.

Basic Protection II: Anti-Virus Software

The second basic requirement - protection against viruses. trojans, worms, backdoors and the like.

Encryption and Digital Signatures

A discussion on the relative merits of different software for encrypting and signing e-mail and files. PGP and X.509 are the main contenders.

Security Scanners

There are a great number of Web-based tools available to scan your system and report on vulnerabilities. This section discusses some of the most popular, and their relative merits or benefits.

MinstrelScan

A very basic self-scan tool - it simply looks for common open ports on your machine, and in some cases tests to see what you are sharing with the world (e.g. machine information, Web server versions, etc.).

Other Protection

This section is a hotch-potch of other topics relating to security and privacy when you are connected, including SpyWare, WebBugs, Data Protection, etc.

Reference: TCP/IP

For those wanting to go a bit further, this is a paraphrased version of some of the Rhye Internet Solutions Limited training material on TCP/IP concepts.